The Rambouillet is a breed of sheep also known as the Rambouillet Merino or the French Merino. The breed is well known for its wool, but also for its meat, both lamb and mutton. It has been described as a dual-purpose breed, with superior wool and near-mutton breed characteristics.

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They are a range sheep, popular in the American west because of their ability to survive in harsh conditions. They are long lived and have slightly higher prolificacy than the Merino.

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The Rambouillet is a dual purpose sheep, producing a desirable carcass and good fine wool. Rambouillets are large sized, rugged and long-lived with a strong flocking instinct. Rambouillet ewes possess many desirable traits which have resulted in their inclusion in crossbreeding programs to improve lamb production.

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Although the lambs finish more slowly, they produce a good carcass, while preserving the hardiness and flocking instinct of the Rambouillet.

The Fleece: The fleece should be bright cream to white, uniform, dense, and high yielding with a long and fine staple of a minimum of 4.5” for a year’s growth.   When the fleece is parted to review the staple on the sheep, little to no skin should show.  Grade should be uniform across the fleece with a Bradford count of 60-64 in rams and 64-70 in  ewes.  A fleece should weigh from 8-18 pounds with a yield of 35-55%.

Rambouillet